Totally Biased Fan Review: Blonde on the Tracks – Emma Swift

Let me state, firstly, that I am probably one of the biggest Bob Dylan fans in the universe.  I am also a big fan of singer/songwriters and I am not a covers fan….unless that it is done extremely well. Emma Swift is an Australian, Nashville based Alt. Country singer. She has an amazing voice.

Dylan is the most recorded artist of all time in any genre. Many huge stars have said that he is their reason for being. Springsteen, Petty, Bono, etc. The Byrds and Peter, Paul and Mary and his one time girlfriend and one of his best friends, Joan Baez say the same. Johnny Cash said that he was the greatest songwriter that he ever knew.

England promoted Donovan as their Dylan, like America promoted The Monkees as their Beatles.

Emma has an amazing voice. I only stumbled upon this, because one of my local heroes, Melody Moko,  shared a post about Emma, proud of her efforts at reaching no. 1. Emma who? The last name was familiar, as I am a big fan of Andrew Swift, but the first name? Nope. So, I had to investigate.

I know all of these songs, because I am more of an album chick than a singles chick. Having said that, it is admirable that Emma has chosen songs that aren’t what most would pick when they were thinking of covering Dylan. Even the title is clever….Dylan’s iconic album, Blood on the Tracks is quoined here.

Most would go for Blowin’ in the Wind, Don’t think Twice, The Times they are a changin’ etc. Not, Emma. She was more adventurous.

Patrick Sansone produces this EEP (8 tracks, not quite an album). There are mixed reviews. I think that it is admirable. I have been criticized for naming Nashville Skyline as one of my favourite country albums of all time. I think that the title kind of makes it country for a start, then the involvement of Johnny Cash and as one very wise person once said, inside most songs, you find a country song.

The 8 tracks go very fast on this album, even the one that goes for over 11 minutes. I really want to hear more from Emma, and her original material. If she sings Dylan this well and convinces a very biased country chart that it is country, then she has won me over.

I am very happy to support this album, diehard Dylan fan or not. This is a super album. I think Bob would be proud.

1. Queen Jane Approximately
2. I Contain Multitudes
3. One of Us Must Know (Sooner or Later)
4. Simple Twist of Fate
5. Sad Eyed Lady of the Lowlands
6. The Man In Me
7. Going Going Gone
8. You’re A Big Girl Now

Released in 2020 via CRS/Tiny Ghost Records. Nashville-based singer-songwriter announces remarkable new collection interpreting the songs of Bob Dylan. All Songs by Bob Dylan.

 

 

A special playlist – What Bob Browne would pick….probably! Country On.

I usually do a playlist most weeks of my favourites, what I would play on radio at the moment, etc. Given my association with Bob Browne on radio and the fact that he passed away on Friday, I am going to put up a list of some of Bob’s favourites, in no particular order. I am not putting current singles or artists since Bob finished on radio, just ones that we played together and others that we talked about after he hung up the mic. In no particular order, and as a tribute to Bobby, here is Country On.

Chris Lee – Get your Country On (of course)

Jayne Denham – Trucker Chicks

Gretta Ziller – Hell’s Half Acre

The Weeping Willows – Pale Rider

Fanny Lumsden – Bravest of Hearts

Natalie Howard – You ain’t worth the rain

Susan Lily – You Only Kiss Me When You’re Drunk /Miss you Much

Pete O’Brien – (with Bre Ferguson) The Road /When We Were Young

Adam Toms – Sugar Lips

Amber Joy Poulton – Trouble Looks Good On You

Marie Hodson – Hello Darlin’

Sandra Humphries – Tennessee Waltz

Aleyce Simmonds – Believe

Aly Cook – Western Line

Melissa Robertson – Until We Meet Again / My Heart’s On Fire

Roo Arcus – Let’s Get Out Of Here

Doug Bruce – Coffey Road

Gayle O’Neil – Forever By My Side

Kora Naughton – Wrong

Christie Lamb –  Cowboy

Amber Lawrence – Super Heroes

Tracey Davis – The Silence of Missing You

The Long and Short of It – Gypsy White Moon

Col Finley – Rich With Friends/My Place

Billy Bridge and Rebecca Lee Nye – We Knew

Billy Bridge – If I Get to the Rainbow

Emma Jene – Yahoo

Phoebe Jay – 14 cents at the gate

Travis Collins – Full Tank

Sally-Anne Whitten – I Wish I was in Memphis

Allison Forbes – Fire and Guns

Catherine Britt and Friends – F U Cancer

Luke O’Shea and Dianna Corcoran – New England Sky

Kel Anne Brandt – Green Door

Allan Caswell – When We were Young and Stupid

Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes – Til We Meet Again

Ben Ransom –  Bourbon and Sunsets

Nia Robertson – Red Dust Woman

Karl Broadie – Black Crow Calling/Count Your Blessings

The April Family – Pages of Us

 

 

 

 

The Single Life 30/8/2020

Wow, what another big week for singles! First up is Catherine Britt with I am a country song – I have often thought this about my life!  What a wonderful song. I think that it will be a huge hit for Catherine……and it is definitely country. Her voice seems to be getting better….like a good red wine.

Next to a song that I have been promoting the release of fairly largely, Better Day by Aaron D’Arcy. I personally think that it is the best song that he has released, and I love his music. I guess it is apt at the moment as well. It has what we used to call the Californian sound, (Think the Eagles). It is definitely a singalong song.

One of the most prolific and consistently good singer/songwriters in Australia, Allan Caswell has released an iconic song (with more than a little help from Manfred!) That Holden Saved My Life. It will more than likely have Cas holding up another one of those golden guitars in January.

He didn’t stop at one, though! With Damian Cafarella, Allan has released the Bluegrass song, Spin. It is a sequel to Bad Politics that the two had out last year. Some great lines and too much truth in this one. Some fine picking and great to see DCaf being involved in Allan’s music again. He has really helped his star shine even more in the last few years.

Thank God, finally after a long time between drinks, Billy Bridge has released a song and it is a bottler. I’ll be fine is a very personal song but also a very catchy one….it has that riding on a train feel. (You will know what I mean when you hear it). I’ll be fine is a fine song indeed and well worth the wait. Billy is one of my favourites, yes I know, I have a lot of favourites, but don’t make us wait so long next time, Billy!

If you play this next song after the last two, you will have that little almost Bluegrass/folky feel trifecta. Jack is the latest from Brendan McMahon, a guy who I have only just discovered in the last few years but he’s a really good singer/songwriter.  I love how he says that it is based  on a real story but the name has been changed. I think that it may be very close to home!

Melbourne duo The Anywheres (Dom and Rosie) released What you Want to Hear. For fans of Dom Italiano, this is just an added notch to the belt. Dom has been constantly writing throughout the lockdown and performing on Facebook regularly. These two together harmonize beautifully and the song definitely gets into your head.

Another singer/songwriter that I didn’t know about til recently is Daniel Reeves. Don’t know who I can trust is the latest offering. It has a familiar feel, it is a cross between a countrified Herman’s Hermits and Ed Kuepper. A fabulous song. One of those that you can listen to over and over.

Brooke Lambert has released a double single, which a few are doing these days, and it kinda reminds me of old 45s when you had a two sided disc. There was an A side and a b side. The cool little package is called Two Thousand and Seventeen and features the songs Outta My Head which sounds like early Amber Lawrence and is a real toe tapper and it is very hummable. the other song sounds totally different. After all is a much more slower song and Brooke’s voice sounds like she is another singer! Two quite contrasting songs but both terrific. Great double.

Matt Joe Gow rounds off the singles for this week with Runnin’ on Time (Live at NSC, 2020). As usual, the production is perfect and it is a rocking little track that booms out of the speakers. Get on your dancing shoes and hit the floor.

A shade of Browne – My tribute to Bob ‘I called him Bobby’ Browne

This was the theme song to Bob Browne’s Country On radio show on 2GLF, Liverpool…..not the Beatles’ Liverpool, just a suburb of Sydney. Apparently, earlier on, it was a Col Finley song with a similar name. Bob loved both artists. In fact, if you were an Australian Indie Country Music Artist, you were pretty much guaranteed a ‘like’ from Bob.

Bobby was a musician in his own way, though he loved spinning the discs of all of the musicians. He was like a little kid at Christmas when he heard about a new artist. I remember that he nearly fell out of his chair when he heard Kora Naughton. Literally. We often fell out of our chairs. We danced stupid dances and we sang very badly when the mics were off, well I sang very badly and we talked about everything and anything off or on air. You see, I was lucky enough to at first guest on Bobby’s show and then then I was asked by the man himself, to join him permanently. This came about because the other show that I guested on was folding and he wanted to take on this crazy blonde cowgirl from Tamworth. I ended up programming most of the show and stood in for him a few times with somebody else doing the panel when Bob was sick. He took a chance on me and it worked.

We were the odd couple of country radio, total opposites in lots of ways, very much alike in others. We were both very passionate about Australian Country Music, though, surprisingly to some, he was country rock and I was a sad song gal. We were on total opposite sides in politics and he followed the Storm and I followed the Roosters. We had some fun stoushes. He would love to talk about something off air and promise that he would never bring it up on air, but he always did, and I always fell for it. With humour and spirit, we got through it. Some folks said that we acted like an old married couple, others thought we were more like Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis.

We played pretty much 95 percent Aussie and Kiwi music, though occasionally we would throw in an American or Canadian. We did play some signed artists, but very few. It was Indies for us.

We did this thing where we would do the top 20, but we ended up just doing top 10 because I would add a story about the artist and he would make a joke. It took up most of the show, or at least a big chunk of it. He would do number 10, I would do 9 and so forth. Sometimes he planned it so that it was a song I didn’t like (rare) and he knew that I would go quickly over it. Once we talked about Taylor Swift off air and he knew how much I didn’t like her, so as soon as we came back on, he said: Taylor Swift has been in the news again, but I know how much she loves her, so I’ll let her talk about it……Yep it was a hoot.

We helped each other laugh through the tough times and there were a few of those on both sides. Bobby was a character. He loved his family and was always talking about his kids and grandkids. He had a lot of mates. He was a good and kind man whom I knew for too shorter time, but it was quality time.

We were each other’s teacher and each other’s student and it was only because I was moving to Victoria and he was close to hanging up his mic that the show stopped for us. On his last show, which was meant to be 2 hours, it went for about 7. So many people called in, including me from Moe to wish him well and to thank him for all that he did for us.

Already, many folks have written that Bob was the first to interview them or play their songs. He represented the ICMA strongly, and he really loved his Indies, even more than he loved Bundy…..and that’s a lot of love. When I had to leave to work in Victoria, he said that he would leave an empty chair opposite him in the studio and that would be me. I have an empty chair too, Bob and it is only for you.

We spoke a few times on the phone and we kept in touch for a long while by facebook. I left messages for him in recent times after a final phone call which was not a long phone call like our others, just a quick one, which said too much and not enough.

I will try and continue on in other ways to help the Indies that he loved so much, that we love so much, with him in that otherwise empty chair being my wingman.

Thank you Bobby for everything that you did for me and all of the artists that you loved so much.

Please someone out there find a cure for Cancer. It has taken too many of those who I have loved and admired.

So Bundy On, Country On and I know that you will live on Bobby in the lives of your family and friends and the Country Music Family that we are both lucky to be a part of, always.

I will be putting a playlist together later of a lot of Bobby’s favourites.

 

 

Totally Biased Fan Review – Looking for a feeling – Pam Tillis

I am not sure how this one passed my eyes. This is Pam’s first solo album of original content in 13 years. She released it back in April. I found out about it when she appeared on a LIVE gig yesterday from the Grand Ole Opry. She has done a couple of albums with Lorrie Morgan and has been busy touring until COVID. She has had a busy and sad few years despite not releasing a solo album for that long.

The title track is very Ode to Billy Joe, it has that same feeling. Pam co-wrote a lot of the songs on here, which is great. Her voice seems to be better than ever and it was always wonderful.

The songs vary from a couple of covers done slightly different to lots of originals. Dolly 1969 is partly spoken word, partly sung ….it is a nostalgic tribute to one of the greats. The line: “I wanna go and slap that bitch, Jolene” – shows her humour and spirit. Pam has known country music all her life, lived it with her Dad, Mel and created her own legend as one of the finest of all time.

The beauty of a Pam Tillis album is that you know what you are going to get but you know that she is going to do it differently to everyone else. She has a distinctive voice, but she varies it. You always know that you are going to get heartbreakers, some smooth and smoky tones and some belters. You are going to get something a bit funky, a bit bluesy, a bit rocky. She does it all, really and you know that.

I think Last Summer’s Wine is my favourite – it is what Pam does best, those slow, moving ballads which strangely enough, often mention wine. Beautiful stuff.

Lady Music is a clever song, with lots of metaphors (I love that, it is the English Major in me). You could probably just listen to it and enjoy it and Pam’s voice but the play on words is too good to miss for me.

My Kind of Medicine is another song that has that cleverness, and it is very apt for the moment in the world. I won’t spoil it for you, just listen and learn.

Dark Turn of Mind has that almost Texas Swing sound that Pam does regularly in a mix. It is a Gillian Welch song, I think. Gillian does the same thing often, she has an upbeat tune with sad lyrics. Pam carries it off, where many wouldn’t be able to.

Another favourite on the album is The Scheme of Things. It doesn’t get much more country than this song, with some interesting riffs and Pam belting it out with all that she can then softening it where it needs to be softened.

Karma is a bit boppier – love the line about I used to be the heartbreaker now I am the breakee.

As much as Pam likes to vary things they all have that familiar chord and cord, I can’t see Pammy ever doing anything too radical. She’s a country queen and that will always be there, it’s in her D and A and very much a part of her music.

Songs like Burning Star and Better Friends have that signature Pam Tillis sound and they are treasures. Better Friends is reprised at the end, and though it is not the title track, it feels like it is a thread running through the album.

Credits aren’t around for this album, unless you buy the record. I was lucky enough to find a few notes, here and there to compare what I had written to. She went low key with this release, no big fanfare, but that is the subtlety that Pam has with her music and her performances.

She has that down home voice when she speaks on stage with a gentle and corny humour and that home spun magic belies her 63 years.

This is a treasure of an album. Some reviews say that it is her best yet. That wouldn’t be far from three chords and the truth. Hopefully, it won’t be as long before we hear another one.

Tracklist

1	Looking For A Feeling
2	Demolition Angel
3	Better Friends
4	Dolly 1969
5	Last Summer’s Wine
6	Lady Music
7	My Kind Of Medicine
8	Dark Turn Of Mind
9	The Scheme Of Things
10	Karma
11	Burning Star
12	Better Friends Reprise

Special Announcement – The Kazzies 2020

Hello wonderful country musos and fans,

Yes, The Kazzies will still be on this year, in December, as always.  It is never a big presentation night in a special building. It does not involve huge prizes or special trophies……it is more like purple air guitars and I announce them on this very blog, connected to Twitter and Facebook. So like most things this year, it will be online….as always!

All of the nominations and awards are compiled and voted on by me, I take full responsibility. All of the nominations are from this year only. So if you released an album last year, it would have gone into last year’s Kazzies. I try to buy as many albums and singles as possible. Sometimes, very naughty and very generous artists send me some, but that is not necessary.

Last year there were 105 categories, with sometimes up to 10 winners in each category. A certain funny and talented fiddle player once said that it was like at sideshow alley where it is a matter of every child wins a prize.  A lot of the awards are novelty awards so people don’t think that I take myself too seriously – there will be a few extra ones this year in those somewhat silly categories, plus because of COVID and the amount of online gigs and regular shows, there will be some extra awards given to those outstanding contributions.

The gigs will be a bit limited this year (in person ones) because – especially those of us in Victoria – we haven’t been able to have them or go to them. However, I will include the ones that I went to in the first 3 months of the year and hopefully, by November, we will be able to go to some more.

There are some other extra special awards to be added this year, and as I said before, some will have to be deleted or minimized because of restrictions.

I am more of an album, gig and festival reviewer than a reviewer of singles, but there have been so many that I will have to change up some categories for them.

In a year and a world full of changes, I wanted to keep something the same for you. My main focus is on Independent Australian Country Artists in all 79 maybe 80 types of Country Music, though there is a smaller International Section and of course, our beloved Aussie signed artists are in with a shot. I will be concentrating largely on songwriters, as that is my big love, and a section of the music community world wide that doesn’t get the recognition it deserves.

In the end, I am just a fan. I am not in this for me, this is about you and the many wonderful artists who brought me great joy, in many ways have saved my life more than once with your music, acceptance and friendship and who deserve a little something for all that you have done for me.

I can’t wait to see you all again – musos, fellow music nuts and my beloved Country Music Family, but in the meantime, this is the least that I can do for you all.

Keep releasing those wonderful songs (and hopefully some albums!).  Take care and keep positive and if you have a bad day, you are not alone.

Totally Biased Fan Review – Here on Earth: Tim McGraw

My favourite Tim McGraw album is Everywhere. It is also on my list of Top 100 American Country Music albums of all time. This is Tim’s 15th studio album and 16th overall. Tim is one of the most loved country music artists worldwide, and he has almost as big a following in movie circles these days, being leading man to quite a few of America’s best leading ladies, including Oscar winning Sandra Bullock.

His own leading lady, Faith Hill, is a star in her own right.

This album is quite a generous one, 16 tracks and 18 on the deluxe version. Maybe Tim decided to add a few more because it has been a while between drinks.

At 53, Tim, along with Brad Paisley and Keith Urban (52) were all once young ones and innovators. Now they are mentors and guiding lights for the next generation of American Country Music. (Yes, I know that Keith was born in NZ and raised in Australia, but he has become a country music leader worldwide now) There are others from the 1990’s and early 2000’s American Country Music scene who are a touch older and they are in the same boat. They still have to produce the goods though, and most of them still are. I think that says a lot about 90’s and early 2000s American Country Music.

This album doesn’t have one of those Iconic tracks that will go on forever like Where the Green Grass Grows, It’s your Love, Humble and Kind, My Best Friend, Everywhere, Just to See You Smile, etc, but it is a bunch of songs that are pleasant and inoffensive.  I Called Mama and War of Art and Gravy may fall in to the iconic category, after a bit more airplay and spins on my stereo.

Tim McGraw is one of those loveable guys. You really can’t help but love him and his music. He is very endearing. That old saying about Cowboys wanting to be him and Cowgirls wanting to lasso him is probably true here.

In many ways, Tim is hardly recognisable as the guy that started out all of those years ago, he has lost a lot of weight and he is in a different era of life. The three daughters have left the nest, though they are probably coming back at the moment with the pandemic.  This is an album that you can do when you have matured. There are songs on here that are here to please the new audiences of country, textured with echoes and technical thingamys but there are the pure country ballads like the ones that I have mentioned and others that help us keep the faith.

Some tracks are autobiographical but there are others that are more observations about others and other people’s situations. There are a lot of writers on this album, which probably contributes to a more universal message, rather than just Tim.

It is a big production album – it was always going to be that. There is a song for everybody’s taste and you can pick and choose because there are so many of them. It is his first album in five years, so he has had a while to pontificate and collaborate. The world has been turned on its head over the last year or so, so one of the good things to come out of all of this is to spend more time with family and seeing things from a different angle. Life is on a bit of a slowdown and stop and smell the flowers feel, that’s what I get from this album.

It is not “Everywhere”, that was a milestone album. Tim has changed in many ways from those days and I disagree with some of the critics when they say that he doesn’t experiment on this album. I think in some ways, the songs where he doesn’t experiment on here are his best.  The song  Sheryl Crow is very clever and I am sure that Sheryl would be honoured. It is a bit like the song that our Aussie Mike Carr wrote (using Faith Hill as a reference!) and also our own Rick Hart who called a song Levon Helm and Matt Ward called a song Neil Young. Not songs about these people, just referencing them or drawing parallels.

Tim will still be around for a long time. He is a multi faceted country music star and actor and a big time performer. This may not be on the top shelf but there are moments where he is with this album and always will be. I think most artists in country these days realise the broadness of the genre and they can flex themselves and their music a bit.

Enjoy

 

 

 

Here on Earth track listing

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	“L.A.”	Carlton Anderson Shane Minor Phil O’Donnell	3:53
2.	“Chevy Spaceship”	Johnny Price	4:20
3.	“Here on Earth”	Jessie Joe Dillion Chase McGill Jon Nite	4:21
4.	“Damn Sure Do”	Tony Lane James T. Slater	4:12
5.	“Hallelujahville”	Tom Douglas Blake Griffith Brett Taylor	4:26
6.	“Good Taste in Women”	Jaren Johnston Bryan Simpson Nathan Spicer	3:47
7.	“Hard to Stay Mad At”	Luke Laird Shane McAnally Lori McKenna	4:10
8.	“Sheryl Crow”	Wendell Mobley Neil Thrasher Laura Veltz	3:20
9.	“Not from California”	Levi Hummon Marcus Hummon Matt McVanney Brad Warren Brett Warren	3:01
10.	“Hold You Tonight”	Ross Copperman Jon Nite	3:56
11.	“7500 OBO”	Spicer Matt McGinn Jennifer Schott	3:41
12.	“If I Was a Cowboy”	Zack Dyer Lonnie Lee Fowler Dave Turnbill	3:53
13.	“I Called Mama“	Marv Green Lance Miller Jimmy Yeary	3:31
14.	“Gravy”	T. Douglas Andy Albert Allen Shamblin	3:36
15.	“War of Art”	Miller Brett Warren Brad Warren Jeremy Spellman	3:54
16.	“Doggone”	Johnston T. Douglas Claire Douglas Aimee Mayo	3:34

Two extra tracks on Deluxe Edition.

Produced by Byron Gallimore

 

 

Totally Biased Fan Review: The Making of Me – Imogen Clark EEP

I have said many times in my reviews of Imogen’s work that she had me hooked (quite a few years ago now) from the first line of a song that she was singing at The Tudor Hotel. Usually, it is the lyrics first for me, because that is what I am about. Then it is the melody. Then, only then, it is the voice. I don’t pay much attention to looks or style, it is just the way it is for me. However, it was the voice first for me with Imogen, and no matter what road she takes, she has that authenticity or believability, she is genuine in what she says and does. She may change up and out of country totally, eventually but she will always be all of that.

She hasn’t had the easiest times lately and that probably helped with these songs. She has a way with a lyric that stretches beyond boundaries and genres of music. She has this amazingly powerful voice and incredible way of expressing herself that just doesn’t make anything else matter for a while.

There is a lot of heartache in these songs. Some songs will be tough to hear because they are so close to the bone. When I first heard Imogen, I considered her to be a folk singer, and thought that she could easily fit into the 60’s scene. Folk and Country are what leads to Alt. Country anyway and I now have all of her albums and enjoy them all for the beauty and sorrow that they bring. There is a certain power in her songs and in her voice that offers hope amongst the debris. It is not always a sad or bad or happy ending with Imogen’s songs, there is always a mix.

All of her music is polished. She only ever has the best musos and takes a lot of care in production and how her songs are treated.  There are probably about 10 women in Country Music in Australia who can sing with such purity, grace and soulfulness. Imogen is definitely one of the shining lights of our music industry, in any genre.

Paper Boat and The Making of Me are probably my two favourites. Most people who know me and/or read my posts will realise that is a no brainer.

Lyrically, this EEP has probably been great therapy for Imogen Clark, but it is also like an open diary for us to read and learn from and just carry on. I sense that Australia has probably become too small for Imogen now and that she may just go off and fly and spread her wings a bit. She deserves big success. I have thought that from those first few words that I heard her sing. She is still very young, she has time and she has an amazing gift. We should not be selfish, we need to share her with the rest of the world.

Tracks

My Own Worst Enemy (E)

Inside Out

Push Me Down

Paper Boat

The Making of Me

Found Me

 

 

 

 

 

 

Credits:

Imogen Clark, lead vocals, harmony vocals, hand claps

Alex Lahey – Guitar synthesizer, programming

Mike Bloom – electric guitar, 12-string guitar, high-strung acoustic guitar, bass, harmony vocals, hand claps

Benmont Tench – keyboards

Will Golden – shaker, tambourine

Richard Bloom – finger snaps

Daniel Brummel, Jeremy Dylan – hand claps

Produced and mixed by Mike Bloom

Engineered by Will Golden and Tim Sonnenfeld

Recorded in Los Angeles at Sir Tiger and Red Star

 

 

The Single Life -22nd August 2020

A jammed pack week of singles. My country music grandson, Angus Gill and Seasons of Change released Hey Underdog. I think that this will become an anthem for a lot of battlers, and let’s face it, there are a lot of those in this country, this world at the moment. In a country which champions Underdogs and Battlers, it couldn’t be more apt.

My Country Music Son, Ben Ransom has been releasing singles in quick fire action at the moment, a sort of consolation prize for the fact that his album should have been released by now. Mamma Said is, as Ben said in an interview this morning, a realisation at a certain point in your life what has got you to that point in your life – the lessons and the actions of your parents, and your mentors – which can be both – the people and events that shape you and your appreciation for those who have guided you. Cool song…..and yes, you dance to it as well.

Will Day has released a beautiful song called Dear Dad. While it is a personal story about the Dad that he lost when he was young, it is a song that will strike a chord with many who have lost a parent or grandparent and it is a song that is as precious as a photograph or personal treasure of that person. One of my favourite songs of the year. Lovely stuff, Will.

My good mate, Ian Burns, has been doing the same quick shooting singles thing – this time with “Friday Night”. I guess that a lot of musos would understand this song and how much they miss getting out there and singing and playing and doing their stuff. As Ian said in an interview the other day, he loves his ‘real job’ but the weekends are a time for spending it on his main passion. It does have that driving along a country road or highway feel. Lots of cool guitars. The old air guitar will get a workout on this one.

Everyone knows how I feel about Lachlan Bryan and The Wildes, so this one is a no brainer. It is different to what the boys usually produce. It does have a distinctive groove to it. Somebody mentioned Austin Powers through the week and they probably aren’t far wrong….I would have said more 60’s sound and Mr Wagons influence, but DCaf is all over this. Most of The Wildes’ songs have Lachlan as the main guide, but I think that reins have been passed over to Damo for this one. Lachlan seems to be enjoying himself though. I can’t wait to see this done live, it should be a hoot.

I was lucky enough to be in the crowd at Tamworth on Australia Day (something that I have mentioned before that I have problems with – like Paul Kelly sings – I feel like ‘I’m dancing on their graves’) when Luke sang this song for one of the first times to an audience. He said that he would probably lose a few fans out of the song, but I think he made the existing fans feel stronger about him. As Luke says, as a History Teacher (I am a History major), he realised the gaps in the curriculum and the truth about Australia’s History and indeed World history. The song features Kevin Bennett, a proud indigenous man and together, two of Australia’s finest storytellers and songwriters, sing us a song which may make feel some feel uncomfortable, make us all think and maybe rethink. Things are getting better, but  there are still a lot of lessons to learn and a lot of wounds to heal. An important song and another example of why Luke O’Shea is so important to Australian Country Music and indeed, he is a great Messenger.

Fabulous stuff this week and there are a few looming over the next few weeks.

Country Connections – Trisha Yearwood and Dianna Corcoran

    

 

The girl from Parkes and the girl from Georgia have two of the most beautiful voices in the world. Our Corky, Dianna, is more of a songwriter than Trisha and I am not sure if Corky cooks like Trisha, but these two women have a lot in common when it comes to song choices and vocal abilities. I can only imagine if they teamed up for a duet what it would sound like. Here are a few examples of their work, and yes, there is a similarity in their looks, though Corky is quite a few years younger.

They are without a doubt, two of the main reasons that I listen to country music.